On 22 July, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Raimonds Čudars at the Riga Castle to discuss the organisation of municipal elections and the requirement for municipal officials to obtain special clearance for access to state secrets. The meeting also covered the planned preparatory measures for the smooth conduct of the upcoming parliamentary elections. President Rinkēvičs emphasised that clarity regarding the quality and functionality of the relevant digital systems must be achieved by October.
The agenda also included the discussion on current developments at the Artificial Intelligence Centre. The President noted that the Centre must begin its operations without further delay. "Since the formal establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Centre, its practical implementation has proceeded far too slowly. This does not create a positive impression for either domestic or international partners. It is essential to launch the Centre’s operations as soon as possible, define the first tasks and projects, and thereby strengthen the national Centre's capacity and contribute to Latvia’s competitiveness," said E. Rinkēvičs.
President Rinkēvičs also raised issues identified in the process of developing amendments to local and territorial planning regulations, which are currently being encountered by municipalities. The President of Latvia proposed amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 628 “Regulations on Municipal Territorial Development Planning Documents”.
